Sonographic Evaluation of the Carotid Intima-media Complex Thickness in Nigerian Chronic Kidney Disease Patients

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Measurement of the carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) is being used by many investigators to detect an increased risk of coronary artery atherosclerotic disease and document treatment effects. This study compares CIMT measurements in 75 patients with chronic kidney disease to a matched cohort of 75 subjects with normal kidney function. In plaque-free arterial segments, the CIMT was measured manually in the longitudinal plane from the far walls of a segment of the common carotid artery 3 cm in length adjacent to the carotid bifurcation. Patients with CKD had a significantly higher mean CIMT compared to those with normal renal function (0.86 ± 0.42 mm vs 0.69 ± 0.21 mm; P < .01). Mean CIMT values did not differ significantly between patients with different stages of CKD (stage 3: 0.88 ± 0.14 mm; stage 4: 0.89 ± 0.18 mm; and stage 5: 0.87 ± 0.14 mm, P = .94). These data indicate that CIMT is significantly higher in patients with CKD compared with controls, regardless of the stage of their disease, and may be a readily available noninvasive means of further assessing cardiovascular risk in CKD patients.